The Secret to Productivity and Happiness at Work: Xtreme Generosity

The other day I received an email from a complete stranger, asking for advice on a business plan: “Dear Mr. Wood,” he blurted forth. “I saw your name blah blah blah and I have this wonderful idea blah blah could you please take some time to review and give me feedback blah blah.”

Like most of you, I am quite busy and under intense pressure at work. As a result, I have become fairly adept at a handy management trick known as filtering, which loosely translates in plain English to, “blowing off loser requests that do not further my own productivity.”

Seriously, if I entertained every obnoxious intrusion out of the blue, there wouldn’t be much time left to do what’s important. Would there?

Grant’s work in the field of organizational pyschology and workplace dynamics focuses on how companies can get the most out of their employees and how employees can get the most out of their jobs. The common denominator in this equation is, strangely enough, the ability to frame every task as an opportunity to help others.